Attract
The wrong hire costs far more than the fee.
The right one changes everything.
Finding the right person for a senior or specialist role is one of the highest-stakes decisions a business makes. The cost of getting it wrong — in time, culture, and commercial momentum — is rarely visible until it's too late. The cost of getting it right compounds over years.
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At Carrera, executive and specialist recruitment is led personally by Michael or Nicola. Every search combines deep market knowledge, rigorous assessment, and the kind of candidate access that only comes from 25 years of relationships in the Australian market. We don't find people who can do the job. We find people who will stay, grow, and make your business better.
Our bespoke Executive Search Framework is designed to gather better information, reduce the risk of a wrong decision, and accelerate the success of your new leader. This is not a template. It is a methodology refined over 25 years and 400+ executive placements across some of Australia's most demanding businesses.
We are accredited in the use industry-leading behavioural profiling tools . Leveraging these tools and our expertise, we deliver comprehensive data and insights that inform decision-making and supply in-depth guidance for onboarding and coaching new hires to facilitate early engagement and productivity.
01
Understanding your world before we brief the market
We start with you, not a job description. Through structured conversations with you and your key stakeholders, we build a picture of the strategic context, the cultural environment, and what success genuinely looks like in this role — not just the skills required, but the leadership style, the relationships, and the commercial contribution you need.
02
Benchmarking the market before we go to it
Before any outreach, we map the talent landscape and benchmark remuneration against current market data. This ensures the brief is calibrated to what's actually available — and that you never lose the right person to a number that could have been resolved earlier.
03
Targeted search, not just advertising
The best candidates for most senior and specialist roles are not actively looking. Our search is built around direct, targeted outreach to passive talent — drawing on Michael's network and structured market research to reach people your competitors can't.
04
Assessment that goes beyond the CV
Every shortlisted candidate is assessed through structured behavioural interviews and, for executive appointments, validated psychometric profiling. You receive a clear, comparative picture of each candidate — not just who they are, but how they lead, how they make decisions, and where they'll need support.
05
Supporting the decision for both parties
We counsel both client and candidate through the interview process and through to offer, negotiation, resignation and onboarding. This support ensures there are no surprises and everyone feels confident in the decisions and set up for success.
06
Staying with you for the long-term
We stay with you through the critical first months of the new hire's tenure. For executive appointments, this includes a structured onboarding framework and access to post-placement coaching — because the appointment is not where our partnership ends.
How we work
Every search is different. But the way we approach our work is consistent — because the rigour of the process is what determines the quality of the outcome.
Michael was exceptional from our first initial conversation through all the proceeding meetings. Michael’s demeanour makes you relax and he allows you the opportunity to delve deep into your experience for the role you're applying for. Michael’s investigatory skills really showcased as he commenced his diligent follow through with referees and pointed ‘hard’ questions. I could not recommend Michael more highly.
Senior Finance Candidate
Are you an experienced professional considering your
next career move?
The best career moves rarely happen by accident. They happen because the right person was visible, prepared, and clear about what they were looking for — before the right opportunity appeared.
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This checklist is designed for experienced professionals who are actively navigating a career transition, or simply want to be ready when the right conversation comes along. It covers every phase of a well-run search: from getting clear on what you actually want, through to evaluating an offer and making a clean exit.
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Work through it at your own pace. Tick off each action as you complete it. And if at any point you'd like a thinking partner for the process — someone who knows the market, knows what good looks like, and will be straight with you — we're here for that conversation.
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